Full Notification

Extra Patrols to Combat Driving Under the Influence

Beginning tonight, The Englishtown Police Department will be utilizing grant money to fund extra police officers during the holiday season to combat Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs.

During the holidays, the number of travelers on our roads peaks as friends and family come together to celebrate. As a result of holiday parties and gatherings, more drivers are impaired by alcohol, too. People feel free to cut loose as they don’t at any other time of year. They have a few more drinks, get a little crazier, and then they take to the roads in higher volumes than ever before which in turn leads to twice as many automotive deaths during the holiday season as during the entire rest of the year.

The most traveled holiday period of the year is Thanksgiving weekend, and DUI arrests are at their highest between Thanksgiving and the end of New Year’s weekend. Thanksgiving Eve is even referred to as “Blackout Wednesday,” On Blackout Wednesday the bars have their busiest day of the year, college students are home for the long weekend, and there are high numbers of people on the road as they travel to spend the holiday with family members. The combination of these factors makes Blackout Wednesday one of the deadliest days of the year. Traffic deaths around Thanksgiving weekend, including Blackout Wednesday and Black Friday, account for more than 400 traffic deaths each year.

Over the winter holidays, people who don’t drink at other times of the year are more likely to “have a drink or two,” then drive without recognizing that their low tolerance has caused a higher level of inebriation than they think. The combination of these factors led to an estimated 1,200 alcohol-related deaths over the 2015 holiday season. During the Christmas and New Year period, the average number of fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver rose 34%.

If you know you are going to be out and drinking, be smart and plan ahead. Have a designated driver who pledges not to drink or arrange for a cab or car service to take you to and pick you up from your destination.

The Police Officers of the Englishtown Police Department wish everyone a Safe and Enjoyable Holiday Season!